Street will be moved to make way for rail line

By Jay Ashley / Times-News

Published: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 05:11 PM.

THE COUNCIL ALSO agreed Tuesday to work with Burlington to promote and organize stream clean-ups on Little Alamance Creek.

The agreement is an effort to increase public involvement and participation in the clean-up in the Little Alamance Creek watershed over the next two years. The first of these cleanups will be held on the morning of April 20, beginning at the Moose Lodge property along Burlington’s sanitary sewer outfall that runs along the stream.

The state division of water quality has designated Little Alamance Creek as “impaired” and the two municipalities, the Department of Transportation and other stakeholders will investigate ways to improve water quality in the stream.

IN OTHER BUSINESS at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, the council:

- Agreed to designate and place “parking prohibited at all times” signs along Pepperstone Drive in the Valleyfield subdivision. No parking will be allowed from a point southwest of Lacy Holt Road to the intersection of Chartwell Lane.

GRAHAM — Graham’s city council voted Tuesday to enter into an agreement with the N.C. Department of Transportation regarding the relocation of River Street.

The street, which intersections Pomeroy Street and runs along the north side of the railroad track behind the former Cannon Mill plant, must be relocated because of an impending railroad siding project along the stretch of track.

The NCDOT is planning for improvements to the existing rail corridor through Graham as part of a larger effort by the state’s rail division to improve railways between Raleigh and Greensboro. The proposed improvements are designed to facilitate passenger and freight rail use, improve capacity and rail safety and decrease congestion.

This section of rail is also part of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor, which runs from Washington, DC to Charlotte.

The project includes improving four existing curves and adding 10,000 feet of passing siding (parallel tracks), the relocation of the crossing at Pomeroy Street and the relocation of River Street. The four-way intersection between Pomeroy and River streets would be relocated north of its existing location and River Street would be relocated off the railroad right of way.

The project is estimated at $11.6 million.

The project will cost the city about $25,000 for the relocation of water and sewer lines. The actual right of way and construction costs for the relocation of the street are to be funded by NCDOT.

THE COUNCIL ALSO agreed Tuesday to work with Burlington to promote and organize stream clean-ups on Little Alamance Creek.

The agreement is an effort to increase public involvement and participation in the clean-up in the Little Alamance Creek watershed over the next two years. The first of these cleanups will be held on the morning of April 20, beginning at the Moose Lodge property along Burlington’s sanitary sewer outfall that runs along the stream.

The state division of water quality has designated Little Alamance Creek as “impaired” and the two municipalities, the Department of Transportation and other stakeholders will investigate ways to improve water quality in the stream.

IN OTHER BUSINESS at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, the council:

- Agreed to designate and place “parking prohibited at all times” signs along Pepperstone Drive in the Valleyfield subdivision. No parking will be allowed from a point southwest of Lacy Holt Road to the intersection of Chartwell Lane.

- Delayed a decision on a request by Laverne Zachary to rezone property at 918 S. Main St., from residential to business. The city’s planning department recommended rezoning the portion of the property along South Main as business but leaving the remainder along Ivey Road as multi-family residential zoning. Zachary wanted an “all or nothing” action on the property. The council was inclined to following the planning and zoning recommendation, so the issue was postponed until May 7 for Zachary to confer with his real estate agent.

- Made the following proclamations and resolutions: Designating April 2013 as Alcohol Awareness Month; designating April 20 as Arbor Day; and, adopted a resolution honoring the contributions of Historic Providence Christian Church, which was founded in 1763.

- Declared three 10-foot backstops, 490-feet of 8-foot fencing and 340-feet of 4-foot fencing with posts as surplus. The fencing is being replaced as part of the Cooke Park improvements.

- Heard from citizen Ronnie James his observations that the 2008 liquor-by-the-drink vote was a “waste of time and money” since the projected boom of business promised by campaigners has not come to fruition.